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AHRQ releases plain-language guides on cystic fibrosis

Research Activities, May 2011, No. 369

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has released a pair of plain-language guides to help families of children living with cystic fibrosis (CF) and their clinicians work together to make important decisions about how to treat and manage the condition. These free guides examine whether human growth hormone (HGH) can be used to successfully manage some symptoms of CF and what factors should be considered when making decisions about its use. The consumer guide, Human Growth Hormone for Children with Cystic Fibrosis, reviews the recent research on the use of HGH in children with CF and provides questions that a parent can ask their child's clinician about the benefits and risks. It points out that children with CF who use HGH did show modest changes in weight and body mass index. However, no significant changes in the measure of lung function associated with length or quality of life were observed. A modest decrease in hospitalization rate was associated with use; however, the long-term risks of HGH and its impact on the disease remains unknown.

The clinician guide, Use of Recombinant Human Growth Hormone for Pediatric Patients with Cystic Fibrosis, is intended to supplement existing resources available to clinicians to help them discuss treatment options with their patients. The guides summarize the recent comparative effectiveness research review from AHRQ entitled, Effectiveness of Recombinant Human Growth Hormone (rhGH) in the Treatment of Patients with Cystic Fibrosis.

The publications are the latest in a series of AHRQ's growing library of free guides that summarize the scientific evidence on various health conditions so that consumers and clinicians can learn more about the effectiveness and risk of different treatment options. Visit AHRQ's
Effective Health Care Program
Web site to learn more about AHRQ's Patient-centered Outcomes Research or download these and other products.